


Another Man's Shoes

by anesor



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Divergence - The Clone Wars: Rako Hardeen Arc, Gen, Human Disaster Anakin Skywalker, Undercover Missions, borderline suicidal Jedi, mission swapping, screening calls, the Box episode AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-15 00:14:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28679463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anesor/pseuds/anesor
Summary: Undercover op as a bounty hunter: violence, death traps, and a chance to get back at the sleemo who kriffin' cut his hand off... this mission had it all.  But Anakin didn't anticipate the other costs when he agreed to go undercover as Rako Hardeen to protect his friend, the Chancellor.
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 34
Kudos: 86
Collections: Shadows of the Clone Wars (NaNo2020 short stories)





	1. "The Set-Up"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Undercover op as a bounty hunter, violence, death traps, and a chance to get back at the sleemo who kriffin' cut has hand off... this mission had it all. But Anakin didn't anticipate the other costs when he agreed to go undercover as Rako Hardeen to protect his friend, the Chancellor.

“Skywalker...”

Anakin looked around the nearly empty Council chamber. Only Masters Windu, Tiin, Che, and Yoda were present. Normally he could hope for more support or awareness of battle issues if Obi-Wan was present, but he was still in the Halls of Healing after he escaped Ventress’ care.

Obi-Wan said he was _fine,_ though the doubtful healers were still monitoring his physical and mental health.

Anakin grit his teeth for a moment before saying, “Yes, Master Windu...” He hoped this wasn't about the m ess if they found out about his marriage.

Windu sighed and waved Anakin to take a seat.

He took Obi-Wan’s because _**he**_ was getting a bad feeling about this.

“Skywalker, a mission has come up that is an opportunity to get someone close to Dooku and intercept a kidnapping attempt  against the Senate. This kidnapping must not happen, though intel on Dooku’s command is nearly as u seful . Capturing Dooku is a lower priori-”

“Why me?” Anakin interrupted.

“It must be a top duelist who has a chance against Yan,” Master Tiin said sadly. “As well as someone who adapts quickly with low resources and is a male human.”

Narrowing his eyes, Anakin said, “And do what? You know I’m not a ny good at undercover.”

Master Tiin never seemed to approve of Anakin. “Your death will be faked so you can pose as your own killer. T he target  in lockup has some kind of skill Dooku values  for the plot .  E ven now he was heard to brag about us ing bounty hunters to kill or kidnap  a  senior Senate officer and Force concessions.”

T he Master’s opinion on such bragging was clear in the Force.

Windu was not acting superior, but worried.  “Pretend to be violent, and  hot tempered. J oin some assassination plot against your friend, the Chancellor. Your  issues with controlling your emotions will work in your favor. Most Jedi  outside Shadows would have difficulties acting like  a bounty hunter  in close quarters . We just don’t have time to recall any Shadows, and the first stage m ust start in  about  an hour.” 

Tiin added, “You cannot warn your Padawan or Master, their reactions will convince the public of your loss.”

_Loss?_ That bad feeling got much worse.

He did not want to worry his Padawan, she had enough fears when it took so long for her to get a Master. She was fond of Obi-Wan and Anakin had thought she was being assigned to Obi-Wan. They’d be fine for a couple of weeks.

“ We will not find her a new Master while she recovers, nor will she be sent off to the front. You must make your decision  now ,  there is a narrow window for the mission.”

“If the mission you take not, another Master, called, will be.” Yoda seemed sad.

Anakin wondered why they weren’t already called, he wasn’t any good at talking roles. But his own ‘bad feeling’ was souring more by the moment. “Who?” 

Master Che coughed and glared at Windu, who winced. Then Che added, “The other candidate is not cleared for a mission like this...”

Stomach sinking, Anakin knew they’d ask Obi-Wan.

_ And he’d do it. _

_ He always bled for his duty as a good Jedi. Never mind his own health. Getting himself killed before finishing his recovery would be just like him… Not resting like Anakin told him... _

“ Skywalker, we must have your decision to finish tuning your appearance changes.” Tiin’s voice was getting impatient. “We must disrupt this plot a gainst the Chancellor. His loss could t urn the war and we are  _ certain _ there is a mole close to him, so we cannot let this  mission get out.”

Worry for his tired friend, with so much of the safety of the Republic resting on his shoulders added to the pressure on Anakin to stop the attack. “Can’t I just kill Dooku and end it that way?”

“Future plans, that would stop. Nor halt bounty hunters if hired.”

Anakin  still  had trouble imagining Dooku as  the now quiet  Yoda’s Padawan.  H e didn’t have time to ask that now, the clock was ticking before he lost any say over the mission. His old friend depended on his protection and he could not let him down now…

“I’ll do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another of the stories drafted during NaNo2020, but we are drawing near the end of that motherlode of creativity. The last, a massive canon redux may not happen.
> 
> This arc is really one of the major stress points needed in canon to show the transformation of earnest loverboy of AotC to an angry minion in RotS. But the mission could have fallen to another Jedi under the stress of war. Anakin didn't often manage to walk a mile in another's mocassins instead of getting angry. This time it is on him.


	2. "The Hook"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin begins the mission in a rush, establishing his cover death and insertion as the bounty hunter.

Everything moved so quickly and he could not get any time alone to warn Padmé. He was ordered to take Obi-Wan out of the Temple to shop or eat and the bounty hunter he’d be replacing would be watching near the old Reservoir market. A pill and any injury would appear fatal.

Pretending to not be aware of the danger was harder as Ahsoka teased Obi-Wan about his lack of civilian garb. Danger spiked as a blaster shot came too close, grazing Ahsoka. 

Anakin saw red.

Was this a real attack or… He chased the assassin, Force leaping higher up to a rooftop, as Obi-Wan delayed while checking Ahsoka. Anakin caught up with the panicking Hardeen.

This wasn’t a coincident al attack, Anakin snarled as he tackled his prey.

Hardeen was tougher than Anakin expected, throwing Anakin off and then stabbing him with a vibroknife.

Blindly swinging his prosthetic, Anakin didn’t get stabbed again. He got kicked and tried to cling to the side of the building.

He finally remembered to swallow the pill. He hoped the running fight had enough witnesses to be convincing. He was sure some had to be in the pay of the Sith Master, whoever they were. Anakin _needed_ to escape their observation to go after Dooku.

He needed to end this kriffing war before it ate up his Padawan like it was eating up him.

He needed to protect his Angel.

This would protect his old friend… if he could pretend for a little while. To be dead. No one else would be put at risk and he could protect them all…

If he could just let go.

He could f eel the bounty hunter’s snickers as  fled over the building , but Anakin was bleeding as he tried to pull himself up with only his prosthetic arm  and bleeding gut .

But he was slipping. And he worried o f an old nightmare of his mechanical hand clinging as he fell off.

It didn’t end like that, the structure broke away, and he kept his hand.

The seconds of freefall seemed to take forever.

Until he hit the ground and something snapped.

Trying to breathe through the pain, he realized his vision was getting fuzzy. Dimly he felt a presence crash down beside him. He was shocked to see Obi-Wan look like he was the one who took the stab in his gut. 

Anakin tried to speak. “Shudawan’armor?”

“Anakin?! You have to concentrate on your breathing!  _ You can get through this,  _ _ dear o _ _ n _ _ e _ _. _ You’re  ** not ** dying from some random i diot ! Anakin… don’t you  dare ...” Obi-Wan’s voice sounded hollow  and broken and far away.

“S’okay, Mast--” Anakin wasn’t sure if he managed a last joke as he passed out.

* * *

He woke in what seemed a very low level of the Temple. His connection to the Force was nearly gone and he could not feel any life more than a few steps away. He glared at Che. “What good will I be if I can’t use the Force?”

“It will fully return gradually, but if you don’t shield, Dooku will feel your ability right away.” Che was brisk, and he realized she hadn’t been happy either time she’d seen her. “While you were out, the nano mask reconfigured your appearance to stay Hardeen’s until it it’s removed. Here’s a subdermal vocoder to change your voice. Try not to speak too much, I doubt your grammar and phrasing will match Harden.”

The vocoder felt like swallowing a grenade and he had trouble breathing until it settled in place. Anakin scratched his head and realized he had no hair.

And it h ad been just the right length for Padmé. 

_ Had been. _

This was worse than the Padawan cut, and he snarled when he saw his refection.

“Very good, Skywalker,” Windu approved. “He’s a loner with enemies but no known friends.”

“Anything else?” He knew he was speaking from the vibrations but it sounded off in a disturbing way.

“The real Hardeen is being held deep in the Temple  to be released when the mission is over. We believe his reputation will be enhanced  after. You will be celebrating his success and be captured so you can be included when Eval makes a grand escape from the prison. He has been recruiting mid-level bounty hunters to select the best for this job. You are to be in that group. They are supposed to be attacking at the Naboo Cultural Council’s sponsored Light festival, but we do not know if it is the one planned for Naboo or for Coruscant.”

Most of this was in his first briefing.

He tapped into the public i nformation channel , curious to see his own funeral. He was surprised at the number of non-Jedi at the ceremony. The Chancellor looked ancient and gray,

Ahsoka and Obi-Wan were very close together and corpse-like themselves.

Standing with them was Padmé, looking as regal and grief-stricken as when they met.

Anakin felt a stab of pain worse than Hardeen’s vibraknife. All the people he cared most for were grieving him.

For years, the young Knight hadn’t been certain Obi-Wan cared. But he didn’t just look exhausted  now but  broken. The Chancellor looked angry almost, as the body burnt.

He wondered briefly where they got a body that looked like him, but decided it must have been whatever changed his looks. Either that or that was his body on the bier… His right hand was a prosthetic, so he let that paranoid moment slide into the Force.

Just as Obi-Wan would advise.

Cramming more about Hardeen’s life, the skills were a decent match for him. He’d have to use the Force to help with aiming. It had been quite a while since he’d had a major solo mission, and none with this much isolation and shielding his presence.

Finally, a couple of knights dragged the real Hardeen in, swearing and sweating and afraid of the Jedi who had him. Anakin could feel the fear from the next room.

He knew he  _** should ** _ not, but Anakin was glad Hardeen was afraid of the consequences of killing a Jedi General. As soon as the bounty hunter had been put to sleep,  Anakin collected the bounty hunter’s equipment. His armor was a  mere  copy as he was not quite the same  size and bulk.  Anakin could not afford  wearing  armor that didn’t fit and couldn’t hide his arm.

Then it all moved quickly,  too quickly. Knight Bilmy, a Zabrak who worked MidRim diplomacy was to arrest him within a few hours and insert the new Rako Hardeen in to lockup. Anakin had to  find and somehow  tag along on whatever plans the ‘supergenius’ had in motion.

Anakin knew too many geniuses to think being locked up with common hoods indicated much at all. If it had been Obi-Wan, he’d be running the conspiracy in days if he wasn’t a Jedi.

Drinking cheap booze  and metabolizing most of it, Anakin waited for the public  arrest setting him up as Hardeen.

Anakin was picked up and thrown against the transparent steel mirrored wall. His head rang as he looked up from broken bottles and glasses,  shocked by what roared around him.

“You are under arrest, Hardeen. I know you are unlikely to come quietly...” Obi-Wan spoke precisely, voice harsher than the Juntland wastes.  He was not in Jedi robes, and angrier than Anakin ever seen before.

_ Oh, kriff. _


	3. "The Tale"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin, as Rako Hardeen, must excel in Dooku's audition. But the challenges seem irrelevant and pointless for a Force-user.

Anakin was sore all over by the time he was dumped at the prison. Obi-Wan oozed pain as he took Hardeen into ungentle custody. 

But his old Master had not _quite_ broken anything.

He _had been_ eerily silent.

Anakin tried to protect his head and organs and amused himself with the idea of later comparing with  Zygerrian beat-downs.

Maybe he’d stop feeling guilty about that mission now.

Hardeen was thrown into solitary for an hour before a medical check. Anakin had thrown his returning Force ability into making his prosthetic uninteresting. After that check-up and minimal bandaging, he was tossed into the general prison population.

Some looked at him with fear (if they were civilians in the wrong place), anger (at the entire galaxy it seemed), and awe (for killing a Jedi). It was the ones who showed greed of one kind or another that bothered Anakin. Not lust exactly, but wanting something out of Rako Hardeen, seeing him as an object they needed for their goals. 

Dark things.

An unconscious punk or two  after some quick brawling and snarled Huttese and ‘Rako’ had a nice bubble around him  in the prison mess .  Anakin just had to find his target, and make sure  Moralo Eval thought he’d be useful.

Acting tough and b reak ing the guard’ s nose with a  ram from his flesh palm  on top of  dominating other criminals gave him some  rep . Soon  came  the real escape from the Core  with the sleemos ,  and  he was on his way to Separatist space and Serenno with a pack of insane criminals.

What really… irked Anakin was that Cad Bane was becoming the most reasonable scum in the room before and during their escape.

And _**he**_ killed someone for a hat.

With _pom-poms._

Dooku’s grand entrance made Anakin’s arm itch and he made fists while glaring at the Sith and his magnaguards. The other bounty hunters watched the droids, cocky in their believed superiority even before Dooku’s entrance.

Anakin was already cataloging ways to throw the bounty hunters in the droids’ way. If his cover was blown, he was going to take the blight on his lineage down with him.

The posturing and preening by the other ten didn’t make any more impression on Dooku than it did on Anakin. Violence made him careful, but the five best cockroaches were still meaningless to Sith.

_ What was the real plan?  _ No one could honestly think the Republic would cave that much. It would hurt, and hurt Anakin personally very deeply, but there were other leaders long before the Chancellor was born who did well enough. 

Dooku never had simple plans and he liked bragging about his superiority. Was that a Sith thing or a Dooku thing?

Anakin was not pleased with this competition for a place on this karking mission. His thoughts raced on two tracks, one thinking about the traps and finding a way through them. He needed to be chosen…

Anakin had to smirk at that as the gas saturated the trap. At least if he was chosen here it had some meaning and guidelines.

Leaping to the platforms and balancing was simple, but the first co mpetito r was crushed against the ceiling. The Force pulled him  to go  down and he jumped, hoping the Council sprung for good filters  on his helmet to buy him time .

Knocking against wall and pillars ‘blindly,’ he found a way out below the gas.

It would not be in character for bounty hunters to save anyone for free, so he said nothing. Smarter ones like Bane noted his departure and followed, but eleven was now eight.

Anakin’s stomach was full of acid after the three died, but he had a few minutes to think the other track about Dooku’s motivations. These bounty hunters were purely disposable, just like t he Sith viewed the Clone troopers. Why even bother with a contest? He could choose the m o st suited by consulting the Force. Why waste resources building this trap? Answer: the one that designed it had no understanding of the Force.  He just wanted an excuse to decimate these best of the bounty hunters who might go after him? No, he could k ill them all in less time than cooking an egg.  Fear and paranoia just didn’t fit the sleemo that well. He was looking for  _ something _ in the bounty hunters. Maybe he was getting a laugh at watching the genius who didn’t know the first thing about adapting his plans because Anakin could not believe Eval had  _ any _ kind of h old on the Sith. He was a clown.

The next test of their adaptability was dodging, something Anakin had already done nearly in his sleep.  He stumbled into the acrobat to knock her out of the way, but she didn’t duck as well a few minutes later. Anakin pretended another stumble, feeling like he was now a giant ear, listening to the Force and the mechanism chewing up bounty hunters.

He realized that he was moving even before he felt danger, over and over. He was sensing a pattern in the pseudorandom mechanical attacks.

Anakin would love to have the time to slice into the mechanics, but he doubted he’d get the chance. Another cycle or two and he was certain enough of the cycle to start chanting aloud the attacks before they moved.

The deaths stopped  at two more  for the room .

Eval  got angry the deaths stopped , but Anakin grinned under his helmet  at feeling his rage.

Dooku said  from some observation point, “Excellent. End this test. Your genius leaves something lacking if a common sniper defeats such an expensive exercise.”

That made Eval incandescent in his rage,  a strange contrast to the cold Darkness seeping from Anakin’s great-Grandmaster.

The next test was the poison and serum, an aspect of trust and cooperation that really did not fit  this  bounty hunter  group or Dooku. Anakin racked his brain about the species’ traits regarding poison. Rako didn’t have the Jedi skill at speedy metabolizing poisons, so he could not use it. 

Dooku would surely notice a sudden human poison resistance like Master Windu’s.

He nudged the one who the Force told him to choose, making some excuse that sounded good.

This challenge had no deaths this round.  The Phindar’s face didn’t change that much, but his anger rang clear after he announced their success.

Cad Bane chuckled  first,  and the  once- smug ‘genius’ cut the feed.

Eval entered  the large Box chamber again  carrying rifles, voice snappish with his anger. “Now we test which of you is most effective at taking your targets down in quick succession…” 

The Force nudged a growing warning as he handed out the five-shot rifles and Anakin could feel the lies in his angry and glaring spiel. 

As Eval got close enough to hand over the last rifle, Anakin reached.

But he didn’t reach for the weapon, his hand slid past the rifle to grip around the  Phindians's reptilian  throat and squeeze… 

Shock rippled  around the mercenaries and most pointed their rifles at Hardeen.

Dooku simply asked, “What is the meaning of this?”

“I’m going to check my rifle before he takes another step. Any sabotage and he will not take that step. He can test my aim all he wants, but NOT my stupidity.” Anakin growled, sure of the poodoo’s deceit.

The others checked their weapons but made only satisfied noises.

Anakin gripped harder, before taking a quick glance at his rifle. “Four charges? Looks like someone was too much a coward to let me take his five-target challenge fairly.  He’s afraid of the best. And he should be.”

“Indeed.” Dooku rumbled. “ Let him prove his  worth against the bounty hunter,”

Cad Bane was the first to laugh at the  supposed genius. “He talked real big when he wuz killing us  with remotes like a coward. Dodging threats? Aim? I laugh at such a pointless competition. Him getting free work to make himself look smarter.  _** Any of us ** _ can take out a mechanic with delusions."

Eval tried to lunge at Bane, partly choking himself as Rako still gripped his neck.

Anakin could not help laughing, too. “Make it a real challenge that takes skill not something he already cooked.”

“He needed Bane and Hardeen to even get out of a simple lockup.” Twazzi’s voice was now the controlled alto of a performer, mocking.

“I wonder if he has the traits he tests in others?” Dooku mused.

The floor under Anakin and Eval dropped away, leaving them to fall in another long vertical shaft. This one was broader, just under two meters across and Anakin could feel laughter from the bounty hunters  above them and he was getting angry.

“While this may lack any elegance...” Dooku’s oration was so arrogant. “Simple is enough for some minds. This shaft will gradually fill with a heavier than air gas, sufficient for your races and equipment. The first to reach your goal, me, will win. Begin.”

Anakin got a bare wisp of new hay, a scent that did not belong in the mechanical trap. He didn’t feel an immediate danger. The shaft was just over the width of his handspan, he might be able to quickly carve handholds between his tools and prosthetic…

A giggle above him and Anakin cursed himself for getting distracted by the interesting puzzle. Eval’s much longer arms let him brace against the opposing walls. “Drown in plastic grasses, fool...”

Anakin jumped up with a growl, trying not to boost with the Force and letting himself miss.

“ Eval has had enough of you!” Rage exploded and the Phindar slipped in his climb. “You have destroyed Eval’s work! Die like the worm you are!”

R ako Hardeen laughed.

E val dropped on Anakin and glared with hatred. With longer arms he could choke Anakin while his already bruised neck was out of reach.

Anakin had to break the hold somehow even if only Eval’s arms were in range. At least the genius had no armor to make it worse.

U nder his mask, Anakin glared back at the sleemo and looked for some leverage he could use without the Force. He would if he didn’t think of anything, but  failing the mission now would suck. He gripped Eval’s arms and held his left arm steady while pushing up as hard and  f ast as he could with his prosthetic. Eval could let go Anakin’s neck, flip off the ground and be forced to let go, or he could seriously dislocate his shoulder.

The mechanic screamed and hopped off the ground for a moment.

Anakin could breathe, breath the poison, but still.

Pulling a vibroknife into his other hand, Eval snarled and started stabbing. 

There wasn’t much room to dodge or take control of what became a westling match. Anakin took away the blade after the scuffle, and stabbed him, partly by mistake.

A faint fan could be heard starting up. “Excellent Hardeen. The incompetent should have no input on the objective. _You_ will command the mission to kidnap the Chancellor of the Republic.”

_ Kriff. _


	4. "The Wire"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dooku's plot to attack the Chancellor rolls forward, with Anakin in nominal command. An excellent position for sabotage!

Things started moving faster now, but Anakin had no privacy to make contact with anyone outside Dooku’s pawns. Bane was both angry and amused that Hardeen was put in charge… others of the mercenaries tried to take over command on the transport to Naboo, but Anakin gave beatdowns of most of the others over the days of Jump.

He missed the professionalism of his troopers. Mercenaries were all prima donas, needing to be managed and threatened often. Anakin was to take the shot and take out the guards around the Chancellor, the others were to provide distraction and cover by attacking random targets at  the same time.

Dooku would sweep in as soon as the faceless guards were gone, leaving him already too close to Anakin’s old friend. Spirited away intact,  Anakin was supposed to stun Palpatine if there was time.

The plan Eval had made was simple enough  that Anakin defecting would not stop it. He doubted he could take all the others out,  especially with the Sith nearly hovering at times. He would have sabotage the final steps and hope other Jedi would be close enough to help.

Anakin had to monitor Bane, second only to Dooku.  But Bane seemed to be watching for mistakes  so he could take the shot and reap the fortune.

As soon as some under-secretary announced the honor of Palpatine’s speaking to the festival crowds, Anakin made his shot.

Anakin ‘missed’ and the secretary went down, stunned. Even as he sought another fair target, bounty hunter or Dooku, Anakin reached out, seeking for other Jedi on the scene. He shot two of the other bounty hunters in a flash. Three left, plus the kriffing Count in the growing chaos of civilians and the Chancellor’s guardians...

Alarmed, he caught Padmé's dimmer presence and tried to evade Dooku’s  sweeping notice. The crowd boiled with panic, with  screeching and screaming  people scattered in all direction as  blaster  shots rang from  from  the remaining bounty hunters.

“I thought you were a ringer of some kind.” The satisfied voice of Bane rang too close to Anakin’s ear as a wire looped around his neck and the sounds of panic dimmed to a mute echo.

Bucking and getting his prosthetic caught in the wire, Anakin leaped back to throw himself against a tree trunk and loosen Bane’s leverage. He hoped to stun the sleemo as he stretched and distorted the noose free, his neck aching and hand blocking his death.

A curse and Bane’s grip was loosened so Anakin could rip the rest off, gasping for air and fighting off the edge of dizziness.

Bane rolled to a stop, having lost his drooping hat. “Who owns you, Hardeen? Some pretty Senator? A greedy cartel…? _Palpatine?”_

Anakin was not about to tell him and he pulled another blaster out and fired, wishing he had his light saber.

Point blank, and the bounty hunter’s armor  caught too much even as he also fired  at Anakin.

For all the times he’d been hit by blaster fire, it never got easier. The energy merged and inflamed all the nerves already alight from his heightened perception and his shout to vent the shock only helped.

Cad Bane hadn’t even slowed, and he twisted into hand to hand, trying for wrestling holds. He plainly wanted to hand Rako over to the Count.

Anakin had already been in that position too often and glared through his helmet at the bounty hunter as they struggled.

Something heavy rang like hollow metal as it struck both Anakin and Bane with the force of a speeder wreck.

“Alrighty, there. I can’t argue with the festival committee’s taste, but bounty hunters were not invited...” Ahsoka’s voice would have been more welcome if she hadn’t just rendered Anakin dizzy again.

“Shoulda expected _them_ guarding Palpatine...” Bane snarled as he reached for another weapon…

A sonic grenade that could do his Padawan permanent damage! Anakin could let loose now and used the Force to hold the pin and hand in place. “Snips! Put him to sleep now!” Between panic and dizziness, Anakin couldn’t let up to do it himself.

Ahsoka paused what felt like an eternity as Bane tried to move his hand enough to use the grenade. “Master?”

_ -Put him to sleep! I’m holding the Sith-kriffing grenade...- _

Her sudden joy almost overwhelmed the sleep directive and Bane finally went unconscious.

Anakin disarmed the grenade by crushing the detonator and hugged Ahsoka for a second. “Two bounty hunters left in the attack team, Snips, plus the karking Count.”

“I already got one, Skyguy.” His Padawan was still looking up at him in disbelief. “Master Windu was guarding the Chancellor, himself. Other Jedi and Clones are here too!”

Anakin wanted to tie up Bane but one bounty hunter was still free by his count, plus Dooku.

A clone Anakin didn’t know came up to them, staring back and forth between a Jedi and the assassin Hardeen. “Commander Gray, Sir. The General could use some reinforcement against the Count. Has this bounty hunter been taken into custody?”

Ahsoka looked at Anakin in surprise again. “Oh, I almost forgot. Commander, this bounty hunter is working for the Jedi Order right now. Which way...?”

Anakin leaped away gripping his sniper rifle. With a moment to concentrate, finding the Sith and Windu battle was simple. He really wanted his light saber…

_ -Master!!!- _

Anakin barely slowed.

_ =Take one of my blades, Skyguy!- _

Anakin did not want to leave her defenseless with Dooku nearby.

Ahsoka met his eyes.  _ -At least take the shoto, I still have my main blade.- _

_-_ _You stay back, Snips. Make sure no one interferes.-_ With one last pang for a blade still safely back in the Temple, Anakin fit Ahsoka’s shorter hilt into a baster holster and ran to confront the Count.

Windu and Dooku seemed to have reached a stalemate  near the groggy Chancellor in an open speeder. Watching Masters of Makashi and Vaapad duel  _ could _ have been an exciting exhibition match.

Not today.

And while Anakin had no love lost for either man really, one was too much a threat this very minute to people Anakin cared for. He found a good vantage spot and prepared to take his shot.

An instant of distraction, maybe another distant scream  and Anakin took his shot at his kriffing Grandmaster.

Only after did he realize that Dooku had a small slice of Windu’s dominant arm but Dooku pivoted to block Anakin’s blaster in the next fraction of an action as well.

“You! Marksman and traitor!” Dooku felt of cold Darkness in the Force, but his voice was no more ruffled than Obi-Wan’s over a spoiled batch of tea.

Anakin grinned, enjoying messing with the Sith. “You went traitor long ago,  Count. How else  can you explain cutting off your grandso- Grandpadawan’s hand? That’s not family or lineage.”

“You understand nothing...” Dooku was gearing up for a rant or monologue at Anakin when a blanket of blasters went off, targeting the Separatist leader. He avoided of blocked most but enough hit that his lack of armor was telling.

Count Dooku was out.

The Sith was in custody, and Anakin would not resist his  happiness.


	5. “The Shut-Out”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dooku has been captured and Anakin can relax again...

Anakin cast around for threats in the crowd, but the rest of what was once Eval’s mission team were captured or unconscious. A few battle droids were scattered in parts,  they’d been ordered to hinder the troopers, not him . Civilians had b oth scattered or remained too close to the skirmish arena.

Letting himself relax again, Anakin took a deeper breath, the deepest breath he’d taken for too many days.

He knew he should give his preliminary report to some Council member but he caught a glimpse of an angry Padmé glaring at the unconscious Sith.

Windu was busy with the Chancellor and he didn’t spot any other Masters who knew about his mission.

Ahsoka just stared at him. She was quiet,

Anakin decided he could get away long enough to speak to Padmé. He stepped over to where one of her handmaids was monitoring the crowd, “My Lady...”

Hearing a stranger get the Senator’s attention, Padmé's guardian stepped in front of her. “What is your business with the Senator, bounty hunter?”

Anakin made a face and removed his helmet. “I have news that her close friend, the General, went on an unplanned undercover mission...” 

“She’s had enough of you vultures, looking for ransom or funding some useless rescue...” The handmaid was bitter and angry.

Padmé looked like she was trying not to weep.

Anakin’s throat held a rock in it from her grief. “Pads, I’m not dead, I went undercover to go after the Count. I’ll even look like myself again in a few days! I didn’t have the time to warn you. I’m sorry!”

“Prove it!” The handmaid demanded, tensed with an elegant blaster in her hand.

Anakin didn’t want to blow their secrets with Councilmembers nearby. “Artoo and Threepio were witnesses...” To top that, he lifted Padmé off her feet a h andspan .

Shock, disbelief, and then anger crossed his wife’s face. “I’ve been _grieving you_ for over a week! I _almost_ wasn’t even allowed at the memorial… but- but Obi-Wan interceded for me even if he couldn’t speak. You could not spend five minutes to warn me?”

Her hands shook before she hid them in her robes.

“I was in prison and on Serenno among sculags. No one knew I lived.” Anakin raised his hands to ward off her anger. _“I had to take the mission._ Dooku was going after the Chancellor. The war’s gonna end now.”

Padmé was not convinced. “They have _other_ Generals, This _trap_ does nothing to make a workable peace.”

“Their other Generals are even less sane, they won’t be able to replace the Count. And Dooku was captured while leading an attack on Chancellor Palpatine. He’s _**not**_ a victim here.”

“ It’s not worth this pain,” Padmé's voice broke.

Anakin rubbed his  head, surprised a little at the lack of hair again. “I’m sorry, Padmé. I just wanted to end the war. Going undercover did far more than most of the battles I’ve been in. And my men wouldn’t die to take and retake the same kriffing  ground. I’m so tired of blood.”

Padmé sighed. “I know that. But why did it have to be _**you?”**_

Anakin had to look away. “Dooku was a great duelist as a Jedi, The only other Jedi who could take this on was still in medical and would have gotten themselves killed if they left before healing.”

He could feel a pang in the Force from Ahsoka, but his attention was on Padmé.

She finally  stopped scowling at him, and nodded to her handmaid before stalking off.

Anakin sighed.

Irritated at  Ahsoka’s strangely silent  watching the entire time he had spoken to Padme, he  spoke in a flat voice. “What do you want, Snips?”

“I’m just not _**sure**_ this is real. I dreamed about saving you and really, really wanted to be on the team assigned to capture...” Her confession petered off as more pieces changed meanings. “Masters told me that you were not lost to me. Did they know about your mission?”

The fake bounty hunter checked for observers. “Only a few knew. You heard Obi-Wan and  me  talking about Seppies having too much intel. There has to be leaks.”

“I wouldn’t tell anyone!” She felt of hurt.

Anakin looked at her. “I know that, even if the Council wouldn’t know you as well. It could be anyone who saw you not grieving. Or someone we should have picked up parts for the Twilight from. Or someone making a delivery to the Temple...”

“…Or someone wondering why your troops weren’t reassigned?” Ahsoka added.

“I thought they’d be moved to join with the 212th. Obi-Wan would take good care of them...”

Ahsoka paled. “He can’t! He went on a mission, Master, that no one will tell me about. Rumors say...”

Anakin suddenly could not breathe. “Say what?”

“They think he’s not expected to come back.”


	6. “The Sting”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anakin has to get to Obi-Wan before he achieves suicide-by-cyborg,

Anakin’s happiness over Dooku’s defeat vanished away like dew. “Wha- Not coming back?” He felt like he’d been run through.

His Padawan felt of grief again. “I couldn’t get any details about the mission and... Healers kept offering leave, but I needed to stay busy...”

“He was _supposed_ to take care of you while I was gone!”

“I was fi…” his Padawan insisted. “Well, I was okay enough. After the assassin was arrested… I didn’t even see him for days. Ludo said he wasn’t even at a Council meeting for them. I, uh, went to his quarters, afraid something was wrong, and he.”

She stopped there, unable to finish.

“What?” Anakin’s gut twisted. “How did he look?” Anakin knew Obi-Wan couldn’t hide the visual tells when he wasn’t taking care of himself.

His Padawan looked up only a little and then dropped her eyes. “I don’t know. I- uh, may have yelled at him through the door from the hall. He was awake, I heard him move around, but he told me I should speak to Master Plo or healers, and _not him.”_ She almost said more but she stopped.

Sure, he pushed. “What aren’t you telling me, Snips?”

Face crumpling, her voice was wobbly. “I don’t think he meant to say anything more. You wouldn’t have heard it, Master.” At his unimpressed stare, she added, “He said something about not being a perfect Jedi, but being a useless one who couldn’t even protect… the next was an ugly sound.  I called a healer, who checked, but he wasn’t injured. That was our last interaction.”

Anakin wanted to pull on his non-existent hair. He remembered now how dim Obi-Wan had been after Master Qui-Gon passed. But he had made efforts to be brighter for Anakin.

He wasn’t making the effort for Ahsoka.

He wasn’t even doing Council meetings.

He was just as reckless as Anakin, despite any denials.

Anakin needed to find him before he got himself captured again or killed.  Hugging her  again, Anakin tried to breathe in calm. “What do you know that isn’t rumor?”

Ahsoka gripped him as well and steadied her own breathing. Her voice was muffled against his armor. “I don’t know what Master Obi-Wan was assigned… he just wasn’t there even when I reported to the Council for this mission. I didn’t feel anything even though he was sitting there. He wasn’t even sitting like normal before your arrest. It felt all wrong.”

Anakin was having trouble visualizing this. “Was he interacting with the other Masters?

Snips leaned back to look at him and made a face. “Master Plo and Master Nu were watching him a lot. Master Windu suggested he help with the  coming  festival  there  on Coruscant… but he said he was not interested in any  festivitis and the  debrief moved on.

Normally, Obi-Wan ignoring something the Master of the Order said was a red letter day, but this gave Anakin his own bad feeling. 

Then it sank in.

Windu was suggesting Obi-Wan take the other half of Anakin’s mission. And Obi-Wan refused.

Obi-Wan _**still**_ didn’t know about his mission!

With Dooku the focus of  Anakin’s mission, there weren’t that many high value  targets  left.

That left Grievous.

And yeah,  Obi-Wan would go without  Jedi  backup.

Anakin realized his anger was boiling and he glared over toward Windu in conversation. A last gasp of reason for Ahsoka’s sake, and he snarled at her. “Stay back, now...”

“I want to come too!”

“ You got a bright future, Snips. But I gotta go after him and you are still weaker than I like with your  jar’kai. Stay here!”

“But...”

Anakin leaped away, right over to Windu.

The Chancellor seemed to cower a little at Anakin’s sudden appearance. “M- Master Windu…?”

Windu glared at Anakin. “Hardeen.”

“I’m going after Obi-Wan. That’s _**a suicide mission**_ and where the kriff did you tell him that tinker toy General was?” Anakin was barely holding onto his rage.

Palpatine looked at Anakin in speculation.

Windu was getting ticked too. “You’re not cleared...”

“There’s no time.”

“He’s not alone, Skywalker.” Mace snarled. “He has the entire 212th with him, and it was only a rumor.”

“He was supposed to be here or… I dunno, teaching classes. _I don’t need visions to know this is bad. **Where is he?”**_

The Chancellor seemed to realize something. “Anakin, my boy?”

“Sorry, Sir. But my old Master  needs backup. I  _** know ** _ it  and I’m going."

“Are you sure you should go after him now? When you look like…?” The old man sounded doubtful as he waved at Anakin.

Now Anakin glared at his friend. “I’m going after him now, It’ll be quieter if  Windu tells me, but I  ** am ** going.”

Drawing himself upward, the Chancellor told Windu, “On my authority give Anakin the assistance he needs. I’m sure the Team can neutralize one General better than one alone. Changes in orders can take too long for his safety.”

Anakin didn’t have to hide his grin at the Chancellor’s support while still looking like the bounty hunter.

Windu gave Anakin a level eleven glare, pulse visible on his skull, and Anakin was sure to be censured for attachment when things settled. But Anakin didn’t care, that would just give him more time in the Temple to yell at Obi-Wan.

“Grievous was spotted at or near one small region. Rep-int believes he is building a new army or base in that sparse region, It is far closer to the Chancellor’s homeworld than we like, hence the  secrecy of the investigation. He was spotted  on  Eriadu, Mustafar, and Ultapau.”  Windu’s compelled recitation held little grace.

That was enough, and Anakin raced away, looking for a vessel to steal. Dooku’s would do well, he owed Anakin, anyway.

_ The Pride _ was a sweet ship, far faster and better armed than even his Actis, with more amenities and space than even his beloved  _ Twilight. _ Anakin felt a little guilty at how much he liked it. He wondered if he’d still have any pull to keep it for himself after that scene with Windu and the Chancellor...

By the time he entered Jump, randomly selected of the three destinations, Anakin pulled up the charts for the region. Some names were familiar from his many missions, others names  were more rumors. A meditation produced certainty that he was headed in the right direction, but less if Ultapau was the right destination.

Reaching Ultapau orbit, Obi-Wan’s flagship was all quiet and serene in orbit. “Hail,  _ Negotiator. _ This is  _ the Bounty, _ bringing news about the capture of Count Dooku… on Naboo.”

“Identify yourself, that vessel carries Seppie IDs.”

_ Oh, kriff. _ “This vessel was stolen from that sleemo while he was in custody. I really need to speak to Obi-Wan right now.”

“He’s occupied with the object of his mission, Ser. He may be available to meet with you after it is complete and he has reported.”

“I can’t wait that long!”

“We can make you an appointment, Ser…?” The voice was dry but not the exasperation of Cody.

“ Look, you nerfbrain! He’s gonna get himself killed doing something stupid. He did that before after Master Qui-Gon died, but then he had Jedi to watch his reckless back! I’ve got to talk to him face to face!” 

One of the clones Anakin didn’t know started visual. “You still have not identified yourself or given any codes for your authority.”

Frustrated, Anakin tried to make a good explanation as his codes were probably outdated. “I’m a Jedi who was undercover and heard from Tano he wasn’t well. I can get him to listen if we meet.”

The vod just stared at Anakin, who regretfully activated the holo. A little desperately, he pleaded, “This isn’t my real appearance, you have to listen to me!”  Anakin took a breath. “Don’t help him eat his blaster! Let me talk to Cody!”

The comm vod looked at Anakin’s face doubtfully, but the comm became a blank carrier. 

A minute later, Cody’s helmet appeared in holo with some kind of stone dimly behind him. “What makes you think the General will listen to a bounty hunter?”  _ Especially you, _ was unsaid.

Anakin tried to pull hair long gone.  _ “Because I’m Anakin! I’m not dead and I got a bad feeling about this mission! He needs  _ _ more  _ _ back up!” _

"I’m not letting any Jedi murderer anywhere close to my di'kut General.”

“All I need is to be close enough that he can feel it’s me. Put me in cuffs if you want. I would not have come before I reverted if he had a Jedi mission partner, but Grievous demands the best duelists.”

“I don’t see a saber.”

Anakin looked down, having forgotten that his was back in his quarters again, and then remembering Ahsoka. “My Padawan lent me her shoto when I saw her. The Force will fill the rest.”

“Waxer, clear a landing space and prep an escort… We will be testing your claims, bounty hunter.”

Right. More handcuffs. It didn’t take long to land in battle ravaged terrain. Anakin marched out, preoccupied with searching for Obi-Wan’s presence. 

He could feel that his old Master wasn’t far, but he was twisted and fractured in ways Anakin never expected.

Obi-Wan always seemed unchanging, that some kind of city-wrecking bomb leaving him the only survivor, would not be enough to change him.

But he felt dim now, not really Dark but nothing, in a way that made Anakin’s gut burn.

Waxer slapped cuffs on, and Anakin managed to only glare. “If you cut of my Force abilities he’ll have more trouble feeling it’s me.”

“Sorry, Sir. We’re trying to protect him too,”

Anakin’s anger faded a little. “Then get me to him.”

With his escort, it wasn’t long until they caught up to the fighting,

Anakin couldn’t feel much but he was close enough to see Obi-Wan fighting among drifts of droid pieces. He was fighting Grievous all around their impromptu arena. Obi-Wan was already marked and sweaty from fighting.

But what was most alarming was that he was silent as he fought. Gone were the mocking quips and finely targeted barbs, It felt nothing like his Master’s confidence in battle, even if his single lightsaber was a blur.

Anakin could do nothing to interrupt his concentration and the troopers ringed the duel awaiting the chance to shoot.

Now, Anakin needed to get free, a shoto wasn’t enough to truly duel, but the cuffs were in his way. 

He looked at the troopers almost entranced in the fight, even without the Force he could see their fear. None were really watching him now and he slid the shoto out of the sheathe and quickly freed himself even as Cody turned.

“You really didn’t think you could stop me from saving Obi-Wan’s butt?” His rifle was flipping up to his waiting hands as he re-sheathed the short blade. “We still haven’t finished our argument about the rancors.”

Pausing a second, Cody finally said, “General...”

Anakin set up his sniper rifle, targeting Grievous. He wasn’t sure the stun would knock out the cyborg, but it would get his attention.

Waiting for a bind to make a brief stillness, Anakin fired even as Obi-Wan caught Grievous’ three blades.

The cyborg froze, from either the stun or the overload.

Obi-Wan flicked his blade in a spin and removed the other arms.

Anakin fired again, as the cyborg liked playing kickball too.

Obi-Wan spun, anger washing over the battlefield. “My orders were not to interfere!”

Straightening with a grin, Anakin said, “And how often do I obey stupid orders, Master?” He stopped all shielding and pushed against Obi-Wan in the Force.

Obi-Wan staggered, almost falling over. “Cody, I must report myself unfit for duty.”

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan’s Commander, the clone’s desperation now clear. Dropping his rifle he jumped over the catch his Master. “Obi-Wan!”

“I seem to be suffering delusions...” Obi-Wan’s voice was very small and shaky. He looked like he hadn’t been eating or sleeping for too long, existing on stims and the Force.

Anakin grabbed his Master by the shoulders and pulled him into a hug. “I’m really here, Master. I was undercover and I missed you so much. I missed Snips and Padmé too...”

With the ghost of a sob, Obi-Wan reached around Anakin as if he wasn’t sure he was a solid being.

Anakin held tighter and lifted Obi-Wan off the ground for a moment. “I’ve been to Serenno and back, and Dooku’s in custody for trial. I even stole his personal ship. It’s a real beauty, you think you can help me convince the Council to let me keep it? Mace is kinda mad at me right now but with the _Twilight_ gone, a Seppie command vessel’s a great trophy...” 

He knew he was babbling but not only did this feel so good, but his Master’s quiet was getting alarming.

Finally, after too long he felt a tentative brush from Obi-Wan in the Force.

Then the embrace gripped him until his bones creaked. _“Anakin…”_

Anakin could breathe again, and spun his Master around with a kind of joy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This should be the last story drafted from all the NaNo 2020 writing frenzy, The last one is a really, _really_ big one that needs more plotting framework to go past a snippet.
> 
> I'm not sure how canon would shift with this alteration to 'the Deception' episode arc, but this time did not strain Anakin's faith in Obi-Wan so they would head into the Temple bomber arc in better shape.
> 
> edit: If anyone wonders, the chapter titles were the chapter title cards used in the movie, _The Sting._


End file.
